Orange's Foster advances to finals of U.S. Olympic Trials for men's boxing

By Jared Ainsworth

Published
8:20 pm CDT, Thursday, August 4, 2011

West Orange-Stark's basketball player, O'Shanique Williams-Foster works out at King's Gym in Orange, Thursday. O'Shanique is the top seed of eight boxers in his weight class for the U.S. Olympic Trials. Tammy McKinley/The Enterprise less

West Orange-Stark's basketball player, O'Shanique Williams-Foster works out at King's Gym in Orange, Thursday. O'Shanique is the top seed of eight boxers in his weight class for the U.S. Olympic Trials. Tammy ... more

Photo: TAMMY MCKINLEY

Photo: TAMMY MCKINLEY

Image
1of/4

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 4

West Orange-Stark's basketball player, O'Shanique Williams-Foster works out at King's Gym in Orange, Thursday. O'Shanique is the top seed of eight boxers in his weight class for the U.S. Olympic Trials. Tammy McKinley/The Enterprise less

West Orange-Stark's basketball player, O'Shanique Williams-Foster works out at King's Gym in Orange, Thursday. O'Shanique is the top seed of eight boxers in his weight class for the U.S. Olympic Trials. Tammy ... more

Photo: TAMMY MCKINLEY

Orange's Foster advances to finals of U.S. Olympic Trials for men's boxing

1 / 4

Back to Gallery

O'Shanique Foster has guaranteed himself a trip to the 2012 Olympics in London. Now he's fighting for a chance to compete at the Olympics rather than go as an alternate.

Foster, a 17-year-old from Orange, beat Tramaine Williams 19-13 Thursday to advance to the finals of the 123-pound weight class at the U.S. Olympic Trials for men's boxing. The challenge will be winning two fights against Joseph Diaz Jr., who beat Foster 29-15 on Wednesday. The finals bout is 6 p.m. Friday in Mobile, Ala.

Since Foster already has one loss in the double-elimination tournament, he will need to beat Diaz Friday and again at 2 p.m. Saturday in order to win the trials.

The winner of the trials will represent the U.S. in the 2012 Olympics while the second-place finisher will go as an alternate.

"Our confidence is up," said Jesse Davila, one of Foster's coaches from King's Gym in Orange. "This Diaz kid is good but we've got a game plan this time. We're going to use our feet and move around and box with him."

Davila said Foster has never lost to the same guy twice. Foster, who is 104-13 as an amateur boxer, outscored Diaz 5-0 in the third round of Wednesday's loss. But it was too late. That loss came after Foster won an opening round fight against Antonio Nieves Sunday and a second round win against Tramaine Williams on Monday. Foster then received a bye Tuesday before losing to Diaz Wednesday.

"He fought better (Thursday) than he has the whole tournament," Davila said. "I think us taking that day off hurt us. Ever since he was a little kid he's fought in the gym everyday."